Double-Up Dungeons

TWO weekend swells arriving within seven days of each other bodes well for the South African rhino chasers. We've already had epic Teahupoo, massive Shipstern and now it's Dungeons' turn to shine ... twice.

Rather than 'shine' perhaps a more apposite description should include: roar, shift, twist or drain -- this wave rarely breaks off one peak, rather shifting along the length of a football field whilst throwing a few closeouts into the mix. Easy to negotiate on a ski, but now all the guys are paddling it's a different story.

Fresh from a season of consequence in the North Pacific, Jeremy Johnson, David Kuhn von Burgsdorff, Frank Solomon, Josh Redman, Jaque Theron, Simon Lowe and Andy Marr were all on scene for the opening gambits.

Here's Jaque Theron on one of the waves of the day on May 15th (swell No.2). The first frame of this sequence showed Jaque paddling into a much, much, smaller wave -- Dungeons draws off the reef and doubles-up in a matter of seconds.

This is the view from Chapman's Peak looking across at the Sentinel. To the right of the Sentinal is the picturesque fishing village of Hout Bay. To the left, Dungeons!

With at least a 1km of deep channel between you and the foot of the Sentinel, plus a seal colony that keeps the great whites chowing down, you can't help but feel that you are pretty vulnerable and a little low down the ol' food chain.

Swell one generated locally (1000 miles away) but kept a little low to fully impact this particular reef. Shifting along the heel of Africa it imparted a particular version of magic on the Indonesian coastline just as the second swell was hitting Dungeons.

Swell two initiated from a series of complex lows (several centres) which vaguely clustered over 2000 miles distant, down around the Sandwich Islands, deep in the Furious 50s. It came in bigger but a little more mixed-up than the first week's swell, adding to the pre-existing unpredictability factor.

For both swells high pressure sat kindly over the mainland allowing that glorious interaction of serious South Atlantic juice and calm winds.

Frank Solomon is a regular out at Dungeons and was an invitee at the last Red Bull event. He was also part of the SA big wave crew that spent last year in California taking on Mavs and anything else the Northern Hemi could throw at them. These guys are the real deal, they dedicate everything they do to big wave surfing.

Mike Schlebach -- an ex-body boarder and founder of Hooley S.A. in Kommetjie is no stranger to the big stuff. He's as fearless as they get out there and commands a lot of respect in and out of the water.

Grant Spooner and his boat Whalesong have been there since day one. Grant knows the reef and its moods back to front, often getting as close to the action as one can, allowing his onboard photogs to get the shots.

Safety, respect for the sea, deftness of touch, and the possible consequences of over-enthusiasm are the key elements Grant's success out here.